American Families United Newshttp://americanfamiliesunited.org/
American Families United blog postsAmerican Families UnitedWild Apricot - membership management software and moreenWed, 21 Feb 2018 17:48:35 GMTWed, 21 Feb 2018 17:48:35 GMTSun, 01 Oct 2017 02:30:32 GMTUS Citizens’ Spouses Targets for Deportation<a href="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/resources/Documents/AFU%20Chart%202.docx" target="_blank">AFU Chart 2.docx<br></a><a href="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/resources/Documents/AFU%20Chart%201%20by%20US%20State.docx" target="_blank">AFU Chart 1 by US State.docx</a>
<p align="center"><strong><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 21px;">US Citizens’ Spouses Targets for Deportation<br></font></strong> <em><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 21px;">New Study Shows Startlingly High Numbers of US Citizens Affected by Immigration Crackdown</font></em></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p align="right"><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">Contact: Kim Anderson, National President</font></p>
<p align="right"><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">AmericanFamiliesUnited.org</font></p>
<p align="right"><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">612-715-9833</font></p>
<p align="right"><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">Paul Donnelly</font></p>
<p align="right"><a href="mailto:pauldonnelly@medialever.com"><font face="Palatino" style="font-size: 19px;">pauldonnelly@medialever.com</font></a></p>
<p align="right"><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">301-537-3573</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">Minneapolis (Sept 30):&nbsp; According to a new study by American Families United, a national grass roots organization, at least 350,000 American citizens are married to foreign-born spouses with significant problems with US immigration law. But the number could easily exceed half a million.</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">"US citizens are the most neglected constituency in the immigration debate," said Kim Anderson, AFU president. &nbsp;"Yet recognizing that we are also the highest priority for legal immigration -- part of the only numerically unlimited category -- is the key to unlocking the debate."</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">AFU analyzed US Census data (PUMS -- the Public Use Microdata System) and found approximately 4.4 million US citizens are married to foreign-born spouses. &nbsp;These can be broken down by state: more than 800,000 in California; nearly half a million in Texas and roughly 350,000 in New York. Nearly all states have significant numbers: more than 100,000 each in Washington, Virginia and Illinois; 40,000 in Wisconsin and 35,000 in Utah.&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">“Even our lowest estimate of 350,000 US citizens married to spouses at immigration risk indicates that we are talking about significant constituencies in a number of key states, “Anderson noted, “nearly 150,000 US citizens in California, 80,000 in Texas, and thousands more even in relatively small, low-immigration states.”</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">"This is about our rights as US citizens," said Anderson. "American citizens should not be forced to choose between our marriages, and our country."</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">The American Families United summary analysis is attached. We invite reporters to contact AFU for individual stories in your area.</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p align="center"><strong><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">Summary Analysis</font></strong></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">*The AFU analysis is based on the special report done by the US Census Current Population Survey in 2013: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2013/cb13-157.html, updated to account for growth. &nbsp;That study, which used 2011 data, found 4.091 million US citizens married to foreign-born spouses.</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">The 2010 Census counted 39,956,000 foreign-born persons in the US, which had increased to 43.2 million by 2015 (Pew, ACS).&nbsp; We use the standard estimate of 11 million for the undocumented population.</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">Since the rate of increase the Census counts in the foreign-born population is in the range of 600,000 a year*, there are approximately 44 million foreign-born persons in the US. &nbsp;&nbsp;The consensus is that 11 million are undocumented, which indicates 1 in 4 foreign-born persons in the US are unauthorized or even undocumented. &nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">Most of those 11 million population are not married to a US citizen. &nbsp;Yet a significant number are. &nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">AFU analyzed the broad range of immigration offenses with serious consequences, which includes trivial and even technical violations, on which American Families United members have personal experience. &nbsp;So AFU has made an intentionally conservative estimate that the percentage of foreign-born spouses of US citizens who have problems with immigration law is substantially lower than the overall percentage of undocumented within the foreign-born population as a whole.</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">The AFU analysis is that 8-15% of the total "Married Couple Households with Mixed Nativity" counted by the Census have had some potential problem of the kinds that afflict AFU families. While a smaller percentage, the absolute numbers are significant – particularly since, as AFU insists, <strong>this is about the rights of the US citizen.</strong></font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" color="#000000" style="font-size: 19px;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<p><strong>United States&nbsp;<br>
Totals&nbsp;<br>
(in thousands)</strong></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><strong>(2011) Census&nbsp;<br>
data</strong></p>
<p><strong>4,091</strong></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><strong>2017 Projection&nbsp;<br>
(of 4.4 Million)&nbsp;<br>
4,400</strong></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><strong>Citizens married&nbsp;<br>
to Immigration&nbsp;<br>
Enforcement&nbsp;<br>
Targets&nbsp;<br>
(8%-15%)</strong></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Alabama</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>23</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>25</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>2-4</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Alaska</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>10</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>11</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>1-2</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Arizona</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>110</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>118</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>9-18</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Arkansas</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>17</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>18</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>2-3</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>California</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>811</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>872</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>70-131</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Colorado</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>74</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>80</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>6-12</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Connecticut</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>61</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>66</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>5-10</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Delaware</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>11</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>12</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>1-2</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>District of Columbia</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>7</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>8</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>0.6-1</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Florida</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>351</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>378</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>30-57</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Georgia</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>91</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>98</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>8-15</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Hawaii</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>37</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>40</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>3-6</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Idaho</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>18</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>19</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>2-3</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Illinois</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>162</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>174</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>14-26</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Indiana</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>38</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>41</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>3-6</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Iowa</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>15</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>16</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>1-2</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Kansas</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>22</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>24</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>2-4</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Kentucky</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>22</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>24</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>2-4</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Louisiana</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>22</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>24</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>2-4</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Maine</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>15</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>16</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>1-2</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Maryland</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>71</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>76</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>6-11</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Massachusetts</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>103</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>111</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>9-17</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Michigan</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>91</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>98</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>8-15</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Minnesota</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>45</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>48</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>4-7</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Mississippi</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>9</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>10</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>1-2</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Missouri</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>36</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>39</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>3-6</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Montana</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>8</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>9</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>0.7-1</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Nebraska</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>13</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>14</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>1-2</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Nevada</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>62</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>67</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>5-10</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>New Hampshire</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>16</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>17</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>1-3</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>New Jersey</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>157</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>169</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>14-25</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>New Mexico</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>32</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>3-5</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>New York</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>316</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>340</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>27-50</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>North Carolina</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>84</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>90</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>7-14</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>North Dakota</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>4</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>4</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>0.3-0.6</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Ohio</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>70</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>75</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>6-11</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Oklahoma</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>28</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>30</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>2-5</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Oregon</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>52</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>56</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>5-8</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Pennsylvania</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>99</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>106</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>9-16</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Rhode Island</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>16</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>17</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>1-3</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>South Carolina</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>35</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>38</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>3-6</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>South Dakota</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>3</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>3</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>0.3-0.5</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Tennessee</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>40</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>43</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>3-7</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Texas</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>465</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>500</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>40-75</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Utah</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>34</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>37</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>3-6</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Vermont</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>7</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>8</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>0.6-1</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Virginia</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>106</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>114</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>9-17</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Washington</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>120</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>129</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>10-19</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>West Virginia</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>6</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>6</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>0.5-1</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Wisconsin</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>41</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>44</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>4-7</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Wyoming</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>4</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>4</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>0.3-0.6</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="null" width="" height="" align="">&nbsp;</td>
<td style="null" width="" height="" align="">&nbsp;</td>
<td style="null" width="" height="" align=""><font color="#373737" face="Montserrat, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">Total&nbsp;</font><strong><font color="#373737" face="Montserrat, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">4,396</font></strong><font color="#373737" face="Montserrat, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">&nbsp;</font><font color="#373737" face="Montserrat, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">(rounded to 4.4)</font></td>
<td style="null" width="" height="" align="">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p align="right"><br>
<br></p>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"><strong><u>DHS Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, Total Green Cards</u></strong></font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"><br></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;">2015 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1,051,031</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;">2014 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1,016,518</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;">2013 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 990,553</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;">2012 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1,031,631</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;">2011 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1,062,040</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><font face="Palatino" style="font-size: 19px;"><br>
SOURCE American Families United</font></p>
<p><font face="Palatino" style="font-size: 19px;">Related Links</font></p>
<p><a href="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/"><font face="Palatino" style="font-size: 19px;">http://americanfamiliesunited.org/</font></a></p>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/5289320
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/5289320KimberlyTue, 14 Feb 2017 22:00:00 GMTA Valentine’s Day Message: Respect Citizens, Unite American Families<h3 align="center"><strong>A Valentine’s Day Message: Respect Citizens, Unite American Families</strong></h3>
<p align="center"><strong><em>The most neglected constituency in the immigration debate applauds</em></strong></p>
<p align="center"><strong><em>Bipartisan bill to protect rights of US citizens</em></strong></p>
<p><br></p>
<p>Washington: “This bipartisan bill is a sign of hope,” said Kim Anderson, President of American Families United, as the only national organization specifically representing the rights of US citizens endorsed <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1036?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22HR%2B1036%22%5D%7D&amp;r=1" target="_blank">H.R. 1036</a>, introduced today. The proposed <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1036?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22HR%2B1036%22%5D%7D&amp;r=1" target="_blank">American Families United Act</a>, sponsored by Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D-Tx), Steve Pearce (R-NM), and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) recognizes the rights of US citizens who sponsor their spouses for legal immigration.</p>
<p>“Americans are divided over immigration reform. We all know the system is broken and must be comprehensively fixed, but we can’t seem to agree on exactly how to do it,” Anderson said. “Yet this legislation, sponsored by both Republicans and Democrats, indicates at least one bedrock American value which must be a cornerstone for any immigration reform: no American immigration system can be worth anything if it divides US citizens from their husbands and wives.”</p>
<p>“These US Representatives recognize that US citizens are the neglected constituency in immigration reform, facing a family choice between being outlawed or exiled,” Anderson pointed out. “The Census counts 4.1 million Americans who are married to foreign-born spouses. Our best estimate is that at least 300,000 of those have had some problem, have been caught by the fish hooks and bear traps that litter our immigration laws. Technical, even trivial violations – like missing a hearing – can have catastrophic consequences. The bureaucracy uses traffic court rules to impose life sentences.”</p>
<p>“We applaud the leadership shown by Congressmen O’Rourke, Pearce and Swalwell,” Anderson said. “American Families United looks forward to working with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress to protect the immigration law rights of US citizens.”</p>
<p>Sample stories of AFU members are <a href="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/uscitizenstories" target="_blank">here</a>, all US citizens. (Edgar Falcon of Texas, Nick Martin of Alabama, and Margot Bruemmer, currently exiled in Mexico.)</p>
<p>An <a href="https://www.change.org/p/president-of-the-united-states-what-about-american-citizen-rights-in-immigration-reform" target="_blank">AFU petition</a> went live yesterday, with more than 300 signatures in the first few hours.</p>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/4610921
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/4610921American Families UnitedTue, 14 Feb 2017 17:00:00 GMTAmerican Families United: Do you remember Edgar and Maricruz?<p><em><strong>Taken from the <a href="https://medium.com/@RepBetoORourke/american-families-united-46f44be842ad#.3l905pbx0" target="_blank">Official blog of Rep. Beto O'Rourke</a><br></strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong>US Representative for El Paso, TX</strong></em></p>
<p>Do you remember Edgar and Maricruz?</p>
<p>Edgar is a U.S. citizen, a constituent of mine and the proud husband of Maricruz (I had the chance to join them when they were married on international line of the Paso del Norte bridge). But because Maricruz has an immigration law violation on her record, she cannot join her husband in the U.S. and raise their U.S.-citizen children in our community.</p>
<p>When she was an adolescent she crossed with her adult sister into the U.S. and her sister falsely claimed U.S. citizenship at the port of entry.</p>
<p>This triggered an automatic life-time ban on reentry into the U.S. While she definitely broke the law as a child, and there have to be consequences for it, many would argue that being barred for life — despite having a U.S.-citizen family — goes too far. Thanks to Edgar attending one of my first town hall meetings to bring this to my attention, we have been working on a solution to this problem that is fair to all concerned.</p>
<p>Today I re-introduced the bipartisan <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1036?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22HR%2B1036%22%5D%7D&amp;r=1" target="_blank">American Families United Act (H.R. 1036)</a> with Congressman Steve Pearce of New Mexico and Congressman Eric Swallwell of California.</p>
<p>This bill brings common sense to our immigration laws by providing case-by-case judicial discretion in instances where an individual is a spouse, parent, or child of a U.S. citizen and would be eligible to adjust their status if not for a previous minor immigration violation and when inadmissibility or removal would present a hardship to a U.S. citizen.</p>
<p>In other words — if a federal judge thinks that Maricruz poses a lifetime threat to the United States, that judge can uphold a lifetime ban on reetnry. Or, that judge can determine a more commensurate punishment that allows her to ultimately join her U.S.-citizen family in the United States.</p>
<p>While this addresses just one part of our broken immigration system, it’s my hope that this targeted legislation will help Edgar and Maricruz as well as the thousands of American families currently separated by outdated immigration laws that don’t match our values.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BetoORourkeTX16/?pnref=story" target="_blank">Rep. Beto O'Rourke</a><br></p>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/4610585
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/4610585American Families UnitedThu, 02 Feb 2017 22:00:00 GMTSeparated by borders, a Syrian father yearns to hold his American son<p><strong>'Can't hold him in my arms': Syrian dad waits to join American wife, meet son</strong></p>
<p>Feb. 2, 2017 at 8:42 AM</p>
<p>Terri Peters, TODAY Contributor</p>
<p>After going through two years of legal process for her Syrian-born husband to reunite with his son, one American mom fears that recent immigration restrictions will keep their family apart even longer.</p>
<p>When Tori Morris and Mahmoud Sloum met in Ghana, West Africa, in December 2013, the couple quickly fell in love. Morris, an American, and Sloum, a Syrian, married three months later, and made a life for themselves in Accra, Ghana’s capital.</p>
<p><img src="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/resources/Pictures/News/today1.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; display: block;"><br></p>
<p>The newlyweds passed their days working — Morris was in Ghana helping a non-profit organization called Global Mamas and Sloum was working as a chef — entertaining friends, watching movies together and going to the beach.</p>
<p>“We were like the mom and dad of our group,” Morris recalled. “It’s our nature to be the home that our friends come to.”</p>
<p>When Morris learned she was pregnant in September 2014, they started making arrangements to move back to the U.S. — to Morris’ home state of Kentucky.</p>
<p>“With our son on the way, there were several reasons we wanted to leave Ghana — one being health care, one being education, one being overall stability — so we needed to be somewhere else,” Morris told TODAY Parents.</p>
<p>Morris returned to the U.S. in April 2015, immediately contacting an immigration lawyer and filing paperwork for Sloum’s spousal visa. Today — nearly two years later — the couple is still not together, and Sloum, who remains in Ghana, has a 19-month-old son, Aiden, whom he has never met.</p>
<p>“I had no idea this was the process. I was completely naive as to what would happen,” said Morris. “I think you always assume, especially in the case of a husband and wife, that you get married and they come, too.”</p>
<p><img src="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/resources/Pictures/News/today2.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; display: block;"><br></p>
<p>Morris says they initially were told within six to nine months, Sloum would be reunited with her and their son. Instead, they have spent months trying to get Sloum into the U.S., sending in documents ranging from birth certificates to text message transcripts, completing all necessary paperwork and waiting.</p>
<p>And now, with President Donald Trump's executive order, which bans the immigration of people from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Syria, to the U.S. for 90 days, the couple feels they have again hit a wall.</p>
<p>“I didn't know any country will keep a man from his family,” Sloum told TODAY in an email. “Whenever I see my wife is hurting I wish I can take it for myself. The moment your child is born is one of the best gifts from God. I can never get that moment back. I have this beautiful gift — our son — but I can't hold him in my arms.”</p>
<p>Morris says she and her husband applied for a visitor’s visa, so he could be present for Aiden’s birth. Their request was denied (during President Obama's term in office).</p>
<p>“He was told ‘no,’ and that basically because he’s married to a U.S. citizen — he would never be granted a visitor’s visa, even though we made it clear he only wanted to come for the birth of his child,” said Morris, explaining that they were told by government employees that spouses granted a visitor’s visa often remain in the country illegally.</p>
<p>Morris’ parents were with her at her son’s birth in June 2015. The Kentucky mom says while their support helped her greatly, it wasn’t the same as having her husband by her side.</p>
<p>“It was scary for both of us,” Morris told TODAY through tears. “I wanted him there to hold my hand.”</p>
<p>“To be married, and have your husband that is so excited to become a father, and to know that a piece of paper is why he can’t be there to experience the birth of his child — that’s really hard,” Morris continued.</p>
<p>Morris and Sloum are among many families impacted by the halt in immigration. One pregnant Missouri woman is facing being without her Iraqi husband who was set to travel to the U.S. for their baby's birth. Iraq is one of the countries from which the president’s order suspends arrivals. In another case, an Iranian green card holder who married an American and has lived in Chicago for 10 years is currently in Iran with the couple's young daughter, an American citizen. They had been there visiting family and are now unable to return due to the ban.</p>
<p>Kim Anderson is president of American Families United (AFU,) an organization that helps U.S. citizens who marry immigrants navigate immigration law.</p>
<p>“U.S. citizens who marry immigrants often find themselves caught by the confusions and contradictions of immigration law,” said Anderson, who calls U.S. citizen spouses “the forgotten constituency” in the immigration debate.</p>
<p><img src="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/resources/Pictures/News/today3.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; display: block;"><br></p>
<p>Paul Donnelly is a consultant for AFU and says the U.S. census counts 4.1 million Americans who are married to immigrants.</p>
<p>“Nobody counts how many have had problems with immigration law, but our best count is at least 300,000 citizens are married to people who have some problem with immigration law that causes them to face the choice of being exiled, or outlawed — not unlike Tori Morris,” said Donnelly.</p>
<p>Donnelly explains that spouses, kids and parents of U.S. citizens are what's known as "immediate relatives" and they are the highest priority for legal immigration to the U.S.</p>
<p>“People think (immigrants) aren’t vetted — they are,” said Morris. “Your entire life is just opened up on the table for strangers to see. We’ve had to give details of our marriage and tell about when we got pregnant — it’s these intimate details of your life and your marriage that you just have to tell people. You have to prove that this person you chose as your husband is good enough.”</p>
<p>Still, with an uncertain future and invasive measures, Morris says she and Sloum, who Aiden calls "Baba," will not give up hope, because of their son.</p>
<p>“It’s hard. From the time Aiden was little, he’s always known his Baba’s voice because we Skype daily,” said Morris. “Sometimes we’ll be Skyping and he’ll reach his arms out and want Baba to hold him. He doesn’t understand why he can see his face, but can’t touch him.”</p>
<p><img src="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/resources/Pictures/News/today4.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; display: block;"><br></p>
<p>“I hope he knows I am far from him because I love him so much,” said Sloum. “I want him to know I do this so he has an easier life than mine… we are just people trying to make a good life for our family.”</p>
<p>“We just want our son to live a happy, safe life,” Morris agreed. “What I hope everyone would remember about my family — especially if they’re a parent — is that every decision you make as a parent is for your children… to give your child safety and full health care and an education. That’s all that we’re trying to do.”</p>
<p>After hearing their story, Anderson of American Families United hopes to help Morris and Sloum.</p>
<p>“AFU is ready to go with Tori Morris to speak with her Senators — Rand Paul and especially Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — to fix this god-awful, un-American mess,” Anderson told TODAY.</p>
<p>Never miss a parenting story with TODAY’s newsletters! Sign up here</p>
<p>Morris says she dreams of the day when she and her son meet Sloum at the airport to welcome him home, and imagines what life will be like when they sit down to dinner together every night as a family.</p>
<p>“I’ll finally have my life back. I feel like when I left him in Ghana, someone just hit pause,” Morris explained. “Since that day, we’re still living — and we have this beautiful little boy and we’re so thankful — but so much of our life has just stopped because how do you move on? How do you create a life without your spouse? It’s like we’re all just holding on until we can hit play again.”</p>
<p><img src="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/resources/Pictures/News/today5.jpg" alt="" title="" border="0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; display: block;"><br></p>
<p>And now, with an immigration ban leaving the future uncertain, Morris wonders when she will be able to carry on with her life.</p>
<p>“I hope that seeing our family’s story makes this entire situation more relatable to people — that’s my goal,” said Morris. “As much as we miss each other, as much as our hearts are broken — if I took my son to Ghana to live and anything happened to him, I could never forgive myself because I had another option — as a U.S. citizen I had that privilege.”</p>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/4606041
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/4606041American Families UnitedMon, 12 Dec 2016 23:31:00 GMTTrump and Immigration: Tough Talk Masks a Complex Reality<p>Thank you to <a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/authors/susan-ferriss" target="_blank">Susan Ferriss</a> for covering American Families United in a recent article on immigration. &nbsp;You can read the article in its entirety at the link below:<br>
<br>
<strong><a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/12/12/20515/trump-and-immigration-tough-talk-masks-complex-reality" target="_blank">Trump and Immigration: Tough Talk Masks a Complex Reality</a></strong><br></p>
<p>"For years, these citizens have tried to persuade Congress unsuccessfully to reform these penalties— arguing that the bars have done nothing to deter illegal immigration and instead are a disproportionate punishment falling on Americans. Multiple bills with some bipartisan support have so far stalled in Congress. "<br></p>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/4455877
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/4455877American Families UnitedThu, 24 Nov 2016 05:18:15 GMTThanksgiving Message to AFU Members & Friends<table style="border-collapse: collapse;" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: rgb(72, 150, 196);">
<p><font color="#FFFFFF" face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Happy Thanksgiving To You and Your Family!</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: white;" valign="top">
<p><strong><font color="#2B475B" face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Dearest AFU family and friends:</font></strong></p>
<p><font color="#2B475B" face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">In this very challenging time for everyone, I wanted to be sure to take a moment to express heartfelt gratitude for the AFU family.&nbsp; It is the strength, the friendship, and the love that has shown through the past several weeks as members have held each other up, dried each other’s tears, and encouraged each other to stand firm.&nbsp; And for the chance to experience that, I am grateful.&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#2B475B" face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">It is not the circumstances we would have wished for, nor do most of us feel like we need any more&nbsp; fortitude tests to show we are strong!.... and yet we are.&nbsp; And we will continue to be, perhaps even more so. &nbsp;And for the chance to be a part of that, I am also grateful.</font></p>
<p><font color="#2B475B" face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">There is simply no way to sugar coat it, next year will be a tough year. &nbsp;But, AFU will not just sit back idle.&nbsp; Regardless of the winner of the presidential election, we knew there would be a lot of work to do to fight for our families.&nbsp; And so, while it may be strategically different than we had hoped, we will keep on fighting for our rights as US citizens to be with our families here in the US.&nbsp; We will keep being a fierce voice to bring our exiled US citizen families home.&nbsp; It will take all of us, as shattered and tired as we are.&nbsp; I know we can do it.</font></p>
<p><font color="#2B475B" face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">In the next few months, you will see a lot more updates in regards to our plans.&nbsp; I know you will want to stay abreast of this news and our calls to action...so, please take the time to make sure that these emails are not going to spam and that the information in your AFU profile is up to date. &nbsp;&nbsp;We are hoping to employ a lot more strategic opportunities via email, phone, Facebook, and Twitter that will require everyone's attention.</font></p>
<p><font color="#2B475B" face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">I would also like to take this time to ask seriously that you consider including AFU in your year-end donations, to help with the intense lobbying we will be needing. As a reminder, no one at AFU gets a salary, everyone is a volunteer.&nbsp; All our funds go directly to support AFU’s lobbying and communication needs.&nbsp; <em><strong><u><font>Our needs are greater than ever right now, as you can imagine.</font></u></strong></em> &nbsp;&nbsp;Please go to our AFU website to donate, and could you ask other family and friends to do so as well?&nbsp; Even the smallest amount can help.</font></p>
<p><font color="#2B475B" face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">&nbsp;In December, please note we will also be sending out communications regarding membership dues. Unfortunately, the system has not been actively asking our members to pay their yearly dues for quite some time now and so perhaps when updating your profile, you might consider renewing if you have not already done so.</font></p>
<p><font color="#2B475B" face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">As families, all over America travel to be together tomorrow, we are reminded that many of our AFU families cannot do so.&nbsp; May we enjoy the incredible blessing of being with our family if we are able.&nbsp; And may we hold all our AFU family members who cannot in our hearts, as we fight on to the day that all our families will be together.&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><font color="#2B475B" face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.</font></p>
<p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;">Kimberly Anderson<br></font><font style="font-weight: normal;">President<br></font><font style="font-weight: normal;">American Families United</font></font></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/4408974
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/4408974KimberlyWed, 29 Apr 2015 21:00:00 GMTAmerican Families United Applauds Re-Introductionof Bipartisan Immigration Reform Legislation<p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Washington, April 29th: “As US citizens whose families have been damaged by immigration laws that contradict American values, we are encouraged and grateful that the bipartisan American Families United Act (H.R. 2095) has been re-introduced in this Congress,” said Kim Anderson, AFU President, &nbsp;Americanfamiliesunited.org.</font></p>
<p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">“It is often said that there is so much partisan gridlock in Congress that it cannot get anything done to fix our broken immigration system,” Anderson said, “and that this is a reason why the Congress is so unpopular. But the hard work and courage that Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) and&nbsp;Steve Pearce&nbsp;(R-NM) continue to put into&nbsp; finding a solution to this critical issue shows that’s not the whole story.”</font></p>
<p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">American Families United is an organization of US citizens whose families face sometimes unsolvable problems with US immigration law from violations that can be technical or trivial in nature. “It’s death penalty consequences with traffic court rules of evidence”, Anderson explained.</font></p>
<p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">“We are the neglected constituency in the immigration debate,” Anderson said.&nbsp; “The Census counts 4.1 million Americans who are married to immigrants, of which perhaps as many as half a million have faced problems like those of AFU members.&nbsp; But every American who has run the gauntlet of our broken immigration system looks at cases like ours and thinks: there but for the Grace of God and a glitch in the paperwork, goes my family.”</font></p>
<p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">AFU will organize around the introduction of H.R. 2095 to build legislative progress by recruiting cosponsors in the Congress, as well as constantly adding AFU members to our national organization.</font></p>
<p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;">Kimberly Anderson<br></font><font style="font-weight: normal;">President<br></font><font style="font-weight: normal;">American Families United</font></font></p>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/3322294
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/3322294American Families UnitedFri, 21 Nov 2014 22:00:00 GMTRegarding: reaction to President Obama's Executive Action<p><b>POSITION STATEMENT OF AMERICAN FAMILIES UNITED</b></p>
<p><b>Regarding: reaction to President Obama's Executive Action</b></p>
<p><i>By Kimberly Anderson, President, AmericanFamiliesUnited.org</i></p>
<p><span style="">American Families United, on the eve following the announcement by President Obama applauds the White House for the courage to take an important first step in righting the wrongs of an immigration system that separates, exiles, and destroys US Citizen families and punishes US Citizen spouses for loving aspiring Americans.&nbsp;</span><br></p>
<p>With full hearts, &nbsp;the membership of our organization, comprised primarily of US Citizen spouses who are married to undocumented immigrants celebrate today for our AFU citizen families that will be made whole again under the President's action. Yet we simultaneously languish in the continued suffering of AFU's US Citizen spouse members who have been forgotten: Childless US citizen spouses and those trapped in exile abroad under the burden of a magnanimous &nbsp;decision to keep their families united simply do not deserve further exclusion and punishment from their own country. It is untenable that as US citizens they would not be treated at least as favorably as others &nbsp;in the President's brave effort to relieve the suffering of families torn apart. American Families United will not allow the cries of these families to be lost in today's noise, either in affirmation of the Executive Action's particulars or in criticism of its audacity.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Our government can and must go further and must not leave US Citizens behind, period. &nbsp;We are certain both the Administration and our legislative processes can work to eliminate this needless destruction of lives. &nbsp;We have seen the best of effort to relieve this suffering in the bi-partisan efforts of <a href="http://pearce.house.gov/" target="_blank">Republican Congressman Steve Pearce</a> and <a href="http://orourke.house.gov/" target="_blank">Democratic Congressman Beto O'Rourke</a> as they brought forth <a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr3431" target="_blank">HR3431, The American Families United Act</a>, which corrects legislatively the fact that US Citizens who chose to marry foreigners should not be forced to choose between their country and their life. &nbsp;We have been empowered by the expressions that US Citizen families being kept together is an American value, as exemplified by myriad other bi-partisan co-sponsors who listened to AFU members and then ACTED to right this wrong.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Now it is time to ACT again.</p>
<p>While extremely grateful, AFU asks for immediate and continued examination by the Administration of AFU's proposed reliefs within both the framework and intent of present EA announcements. Finally, we call upon our legislators to work together immediately, as we have seen happen in bi-partisan efforts of HR3431 so that US Citizens &nbsp;will be treated with the respect and dignity that their birth right, our American values, and humane laws should afford them.</p>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/3156013
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/3156013American Families UnitedMon, 25 Aug 2014 21:00:00 GMTAmerican Families United's Ask to Focus on Backlog<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Ubuntu">As the majority of the country agree's, America's Immigration system is broken and outdated.&nbsp; On August 25th, American Families United joined a coalition of groups asking the current administration to focus on a single goal: addressing the egregious backlogs for legal immigration by adopting better rules for counting principals only to deal with set limits.&nbsp; We believe such a simple change as this would help significantly accelerate family unification, eliminate backlogs for employment based opportunities, and reduce unauthorized immigration without an increase to legal immigration.&nbsp; You can read the <a href="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/Resources/Documents/Immigration-Principals%20only%20Signed.docx" target="_blank">full letter</a> or <a href="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/Resources/Documents/Immigration-Fact%20Sheet%20for%20Moving%20Lines%20Faster-revised-08-24-14.docx" target="_blank">fact sheet</a> at the included links.</font></span>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/3155214
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/3155214American Families UnitedWed, 25 Jun 2014 19:36:00 GMTKeith Ellison of Minnesota Cosponsors The American Families United Act<font face="Ubuntu"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 19.5px;">Congressman <a href="http://ellison.house.gov/" target="_blank">Keith Ellison</a>&nbsp;(MN-5) today cosponsored H.R. 3431,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.americanfamiliesunitedact.org/" target="_blank">The American Families United Act</a>. &nbsp;H.R. 3431, introduced by Congressman's Beto O'Rourke and Steve Pearce,&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">simply provides an opportunity for the US citizen spouse of a person who has an obstacle created by what are often trivial or merely technical violations of US immigration law, to go before an immigration judge or officer and make their case that the penalty for the US citizen and their family is too harsh.</span></font>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/3155219
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/3155219American Families UnitedTue, 17 Jun 2014 13:00:00 GMTErik Paulsen of Minnesota Cosponsors The American Families United Act<font face="Ubuntu"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 19.5px;">Congressman <a href="http://paulsen.house.gov/" target="_blank">Erik Paulsen</a>&nbsp;(MN-3) today cosponsored H.R. 3431,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.americanfamiliesunitedact.org/" target="_blank">The American Families United Act</a>. &nbsp;H.R. 3431, introduced by Congressman's Beto O'Rourke and Steve Pearce,&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">simply provides an opportunity for the US citizen spouse of a person who has an obstacle created by what are often trivial or merely technical violations of US immigration law, to go before an immigration judge or officer and make their case that the penalty for the US citizen and their family is too harsh.</span></font>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/3155217
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/3155217American Families UnitedThu, 15 May 2014 22:00:00 GMTMark Takano of California Cosponsors The American Families United Act<font face="Ubuntu"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 19.5px;">Congressman <a href="http://takano.house.gov/" target="_blank">Mark Takano</a>&nbsp;(CA-41) today cosponsored H.R. 3431,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.americanfamiliesunitedact.org/" target="_blank">The American Families United Act</a>. &nbsp;H.R. 3431, introduced by Congressman's Beto O'Rourke and Steve Pearce,&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">simply provides an opportunity for the US citizen spouse of a person who has an obstacle created by what are often trivial or merely technical violations of US immigration law, to go before an immigration judge or officer and make their case that the penalty for the US citizen and their family is too harsh.</span></font>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1554804
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1554804American Families UnitedFri, 07 Mar 2014 14:00:00 GMTEric Swalwell of California Cosponsors The American Families United Act<font face="Ubuntu"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 19.5px;">Congressman <a href="http://swalwell.house.gov/" target="_blank">Eric Swalwell</a>&nbsp;(CA-15) today cosponsored H.R. 3431,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.americanfamiliesunitedact.org/" target="_blank">The American Families United Act</a>. &nbsp;H.R. 3431, introduced by Congressman's Beto O'Rourke and Steve Pearce,&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">simply provides an opportunity for the US citizen spouse of a person who has an obstacle created by what are often trivial or merely technical violations of US immigration law, to go before an immigration judge or officer and make their case that the penalty for the US citizen and their family is too harsh.</span></font>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1513065
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1513065American Families UnitedFri, 28 Feb 2014 14:00:00 GMTFour New Represenatives Cosponsor The American Families United Act<font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Four new Members of Congress cosponsored H.R. 3431, the American Families United Act today:</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
<br style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
<a href="http://www.valadao.house.gov/" target="_blank">Congressman David G. Valadao</a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;(R), representing the Southern half of Central Valley in California</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
<a href="http://scottpeters.house.gov/" target="_blank">Congressman Scott Peters</a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;(D), representing San Diego, California</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://negretemcleod.house.gov/" target="_blank">Congresswoman Gloria Negrete McLeod</a>&nbsp;(D), representing the 35th district of California, just east of Los Angeles, California<br>
<a href="http://doggett.house.gov/" target="_blank">Congressman&nbsp;<font color="#3B5998"><span style="cursor: pointer;">Lloyd Doggett</span></font></a>&nbsp;(D), representing San Antonio, Texas<br>
<br>
These champions of the bill were all a direct result of American Families United's recent DC trip.</span></font>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1510580
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1510580American Families UnitedThu, 27 Feb 2014 23:00:00 GMTAFU Members Travel to DC to Gather Support for H.R. 3431, The American Families United Act<font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font>U.S Citizen families from states such as as California, New York, New Mexico, Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, and many others, flew to DC to meet with House Representatives with the ask that they cosponsor H.R. 3431, <a href="http://www.americanfamiliesunitedact.org/" target="_blank">The American Families United Act</a>.&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Over 50 offices from the House were met with to ask for their support as cosponsors.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Allyson Batista, who sits on the Board of Directors from American Families United, stated that they "</span><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">left the meetings very encouraged by the genuine interest in some offices, but with the knowledge that we have more work ahead."</span></font></font>
<div>
<div>
<font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><br></font></font>
</div>
<div>
<font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font>Congressman Beto O'Rourke and Steve Pearce ended the schedule off meetings with&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">a briefing for Congressional staff on the "Uniting of American Citizen Families".&nbsp;</span></font><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">J</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">ust before the briefing started, American Families United members presented present Congressman Pearce with the American Family Champion Award for his leadership on family unity.</span></font>
</div>
<div>
<font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><br></span></font></font>
</div>
<div>
<font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">At the briefing, Congressman O'Rourke spoke of his experience of attending Edgar Falcon's wedding with Maricruz on the international bridge from El Paso to Mexico and how it pushed him to write this bill with Congressman Pearce.&nbsp; Congressman Pearce spoke about how this bill is the right thing to do, how love overcomes all obstacles, how he was proud to reach across the aisle with Congressman O'Rourke to write the bill, and how he really did not hear any negative feedback when he talked about the bill with conservatives in the district.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
<br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Following these introductions, Ruth Wasem from the Congressional Research Service presented a history of how US citizen families have been treated in immigration law, complete with a detailed history of bars and waivers as they apply to US citizens.&nbsp; Notably, she explained how some of the bars that so many people are suffering from were created in 1996.&nbsp; It was also clear in her presentation that current waiver law is really an aberration in US history. &nbsp;</span><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Presentations were then given by AFU members Randall Emery, Tony Sierra, Shawna Avila, and Pamela Deligiannis Monroy on their stories of separation.&nbsp;</span></font></font>
</div>
<div>
<font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></font></font>
</div>
<div>
<font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Finally</span><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, Alfonso Aguilar, an extremely prominent conservative voice for immigration reform, gave&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">a passionate call to support this bill, &nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Mr. Aguilar was President Bush's appointee to lead USCIS.&nbsp; He spoke about how he visited Jaurez and was shocked to learn that only 50% of waivers were approved.&nbsp; He spoke about the importance of family.&nbsp; He&nbsp; praised Congressman O'Rourke and Congressman Pearce for working across the aisle, and concluded his presentation by imploring that H.R. 3431 be passed into law while work continues on other important immigration issues.</span></font>
</div>
</div>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1510567
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1510567American Families UnitedFri, 13 Dec 2013 22:00:00 GMTJim Costa of California Cosponsors The American Families United Act<font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 19.5px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Congressman <a href="http://costa.house.gov/" target="_blank">Jim Costa</a>&nbsp;(CA-16) today cosponsored H.R. 3431,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.americanfamiliesunitedact.org/" target="_blank">The American Families United Act</a>&nbsp;becoming the 4th Representative to sign on. &nbsp;H.R. 3431 was originally introduced by Congressman's Beto O'Rourke and Steve Pearce and focuses on the rights of U.S. Citizens</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;and their spouses, reinstating the key issue of due process and review of their case.</span></font>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1510513
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1510513American Families UnitedThu, 21 Nov 2013 19:25:48 GMTJim McGovern of Massachusetts Cosponsors The American Families United Act<font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 19.5px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Congressman <a href="http://mcgovern.house.gov/" target="_blank">Jim McGovern</a> (MA-02) today cosponsored H.R. 3431, <a href="http://www.americanfamiliesunitedact.org/" target="_blank">The American Families United Act</a>. &nbsp;H.R. 3431, introduced by Congressman's Beto O'Rourke and Steve Pearce,&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">simply provides an opportunity for the US citizen spouse of a person who has an obstacle created by what are often trivial or merely technical violations of US immigration law, to go before an immigration judge or officer and make their case that the penalty for the US citizen and their family is too harsh.</span></font>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1510509
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1510509American Families UnitedThu, 31 Oct 2013 19:00:00 GMTAFU Applauds Introduction of American Families United Act: A Bipartisan Ray of Hope"This is great. The rights of US citizens in immigration reform could be the key that turns the lock", said Randall Emery, founder and President of American Families United. "We applaud Congressmen Beto O’Rourke and Steve Pearce because they are standing up for the rights of US citizens in immigration reform legislation. That’s the kind of leadership we need on these issues. This bill is a bipartisan ray of hope lighting the way forward."<br>
<br>
HR 3431, <a href="http://www.americanfamiliesunitedact.org/" target="_blank">The American Families United Act</a>, simply provides an opportunity for the US citizen spouse of a person who has an obstacle created by what are often trivial or merely technical violations of US immigration law, to go before an immigration judge or officer and make their case that the penalty for the US citizen and their family is too harsh. "This legislation is carefully crafted to provide a balance," notes former House immigration chair and AFU legislative strategist Bruce Morrison. "We are not asking for immigration violations to be ignored, and we do not say that everyone who commits a violation should be admitted to the United States. But we are saying that the rights of US citizen spouses should be given substantial weight, and that’s what this overdue reform provides."<br>
<br>
Edgar Falcon, an AFU member from El Paso, Texas who was recently married literally on the US-Mexico border, said: "I want to thank Congressman Pearce, who has shown real courage in supporting this bipartisan bill, and especially my Congressman Beto O’Rourke, who promised when he came to my wedding on the Paso del Norte International Bridge that he would introduce this bill and work tirelessly to get it enacted into law. For American families like mine, with my beloved wife Maricruz in exile, this is encouraging. Congress is not all partisan bickering. They can solve America’s problems, and this is how to solve one of them."<br>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1425703
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1425703American Families UnitedWed, 25 Sep 2013 22:36:33 GMTMarget Stock Receives Genius Award<iframe src="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/www.youtube.com/embed/Vn40J2Cux4M" allowfullscreen="" align="right" frameborder="0" height="157" width="210"></iframe>Prominent American Families United member Margaret Stock was one of 24 winners of the 2013 MacArthur Fellowship, recognizing her contributions to immigration policy.&nbsp;http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1440330
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1440330American Families UnitedThu, 19 Sep 2013 00:32:10 GMTAFU Members Appeal to US House of RepresentativesApproximately twenty American Families United members trekked across country and even over international borders to keep fighting in the name of family and marriage last week. Members, who came from as far away as Veracruz, Mexico, made financial and personal sacrifices to be able to speak with their Representatives to ask for their support of the upcoming American Families United act.<br>
<br>
Prior to the lobbying event, AFU members pulled together to raise over $10,000 in less than a week to fly people from strategic districts to DC to meet with their Representatives.<br>
<br>
One of the most noted participants in the delegation was Nick Martin, from Sylacauga, Alabama, who brought his six year old daughter to meet their Congressman. Nick has been forced into being a single parent for a child born legally blind and deaf and who has undergone over twelve surgeries in her short time on earth because his wife, Christina, is in Mexico with a lifetime bar.<br>
<br>
"Her dad, Nick, is like a lot of other U.S. citizens trying to bring the love of his life back home to raise their daughter in her country" stated American Families United lobbyist Paul Donnelly. "I defy anybody to explain a national interest that exiles this little girl’s mother."<br>
<br>
"I wouldn’t have missed the opportunity to make this trip for anything," stated Martin. "My wife is the love of my life and my daughter needs her back. I need her."http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1425017
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1425017American Families UnitedTue, 27 Aug 2013 16:30:00 GMTCongressman Beto O'Rourke Attends AFU Members Edgar and Maricruz's Wedding, Announces Bill to Help ThemAmerican Families United expresses our heartfelt thanks to Congressman Beto O'Rourke, who attended the wedding of American Families United members Edgar Falcon and Maricruz Valtierra today at the Santa Fe international border bridge in El Paso, Texas.&nbsp;<br>
<br>
Despite their marriage, Edgar cannot live in the United States with his wife Maricruz.&nbsp; Congressman O'Rourke remarked, "It is a fundamental principle of American values that the US government has no right to tell any citizen to choose between their spouse, the love of their life – and their country. Yet that is what current law does."&nbsp; Congressman O'Rourke also announced that he will introduce the American Families United Act, a bill with the specific intent of helping US citizens like Edgar.&nbsp;<br>
<br>
American Families United applauds Congressman O'Rourke for his leadership in championing the rights of US citizens.http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1377502
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1377502American Families UnitedFri, 28 Jun 2013 02:23:46 GMTSenate Passes Historic Pro-US Citizen Immigration BillThe Senate today passed an historic, sweeping bi-partisan immigration bill, S 744, <a href="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&amp;session=1&amp;vote=00167" target="_blank">by a vote of 68-32</a>, providing a glimmer of hope to thousands of US citizens living in exile or separated from their loved ones.<br>
<br>
This is first time in recent memory that a comprehensive immigration reform bill has included US citizens.&nbsp; Previous versions of comprehensive immigration reform, by focusing on the undocumented population in the US independently of any potential US citizens who may have sponsored them, have actually left the husbands, wives, and children of these American families out.<br>
<br>
S 744 includes legislation that would allow immigration judges to weigh the nature of the immigration violation against the damage to US citizens whose families are outlawed or exiled by current law.&nbsp; The bill also includes provisions to solve a variety of other issues that separate nuclear families.<br>
<br>
“This is very encouraging,” stated American Families United Vice President Dana Forrester.&nbsp; “I pray that the House of Representatives will pick up where the Senate left off to do the right thing for our families.”<br>
<br>
The House will take up the issue of immigration reform in the coming weeks, but it is not clear if their bill will address the needs of U.S. citizens.<br>
<br>
“This is the time, more than ever, for US citizens to meet with their Congressman or Congresswoman and ask that the interests of citizens be included in any bill that can pass this congress, ” said Randall Emery, President of American Families United.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1341109
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1341109American Families UnitedTue, 11 Jun 2013 21:00:00 GMTImmigration Bill Moves to Senate FloorThe Senate passed a motion to proceed on immigration bill S 744 with a vote of 82-15.&nbsp; This is another victory for nuclear families, clearing the way for the bill to move forward.<br>
<br>
Individual Senators have filed amendments and will debate those amendments over the next few weeks.&nbsp; Amendments will need 60 votes to pass.&nbsp; Around the country, members of American Families United are meeting with the offices of Senators who may support the bill to ask that nuclear family provisions be protected.<br>
<br>
An amended bill is expected to be voted on as a whole by July 4th.<br>
<br>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1315533
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1315533American Families UnitedTue, 11 Jun 2013 21:00:00 GMTMayor Paul Bridges Visits White House, Meets President Obama<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-1a71c361-6241-f698-69fc-5202550167f1"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Uvalda, Georgia Mayor Paul Bridges, a prominent American Families United member, was part of a delegation gathered in the White House Tuesday morning as President Obama urged passage of immigration legislation in the U.S. Congress.</font></span></span></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><br></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Mayor Bridges received a call from the White House earlier in the week inviting him to the presidential event and offering him a seat on the platform behind the President during his address. &nbsp;Before the speech, invitee’s gathered in the Blue Room to shake hands and exchange pleasantries with the President. &nbsp;The President addressed the group, reminding them that getting immigration reform passed won’t be easy, but will be worth it in the long run. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></span></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><br></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">After the event, the mayor lobbied on Capitol Hill, reminding legislators and white house staffers of the need to protect sections 2314 and 2315 of the Senate bill. &nbsp;</font></span></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><br></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I came away with the full knowledge that our individual stories are the most</span> <span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">powerful weapon</span><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s</span> <span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">we can use,” stated Mayor Bridges after the experience. &nbsp;</span></font></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><br>
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His advice to American Families United members: &nbsp;“Tell your story. Find a way for ‘them’ to listen. I am confident that there will be a bill on the president’s desk and what it looks like will be determined by how successful we are at getting our stories told.”</span></font>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1323009
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1323009American Families UnitedWed, 22 May 2013 01:00:00 GMTNuclear Family Provisions Clear Senate Judiciary CommitteeIn a resounding win for nuclear families, the Senate judiciary committee voted 13-5 to advance S 744 to the Senate floor.&nbsp; During the committee markup process, several amendments were filed to attack nuclear provisions, but these provisions were either defeated or not offered.<br>
<br>
"We applaud the the group of eight, Chairman Leahy, and those Senators who voted for the bill to advance to the Senate floor," said Randall Emery, president of American Families United. "We urge the Senate to ensure that new laws respect old values of marriage and family, and stand with US citizens as amendments are filed and the bill comes to a final vote."<br>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1298831
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1298831American Families UnitedSun, 12 May 2013 11:13:18 GMT50% Off Membership Week of Mother's DayIn celebration of Mother's Day, we are offering 50% off membership with the <b>discount code "MOM"</b> all this week.&nbsp; This discount ends Saturday, May 18th.<br>
<br>
We have had a very successful year so far, with big victories for our families in the Senate bill that is currently moving through the Senate judiciary markup process.&nbsp; We are also working steadily on the House to raise the concerns of nuclear families.&nbsp; But our fight is not over and we still need to remain active by bringing in new members and voices.http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1294380
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1294380American Families UnitedWed, 17 Apr 2013 19:00:45 GMTGroup of Eight Senate Bill a Victory for Nuclear FamiliesAmerican Families United applauds Senators Menendez, Schumer, Rubio, Bennet, Durbin, Flake, McCain, and Graham for introducing an historic bi-partisan comprehensive immigration bill that includes judicial discretion to waive inadmissibilities for US citizen families.&nbsp; US citizens who have sponsored their spouses through the existing legal immigration system, but are now separated or living in exile, are supported.<br>
<br>
“This is a big day for my family,” stated NJ resident American Families United member Margot Bruemmer, who is currently living in exile in Mexico with her barred spouse.&nbsp; “Our lobbying efforts have paid off--Senator Menendez and the others have listened to our pleas for help for our suffering families.”<br>
<br>
The bill also recognizes legal permanent residents' spouses and children as immediate relatives, which has long been an issue high on American Families United’s priority list.&nbsp; Other victories include visitor visas for families members who have been sponsored for immigration, as well as fixes to problems when sponsoring step children.<br>
<br>
“This bill is an opportunity to fix many long-standing problems that contradict the basic values of marriage and family,” stated Randall Emery, President of American Families United “and we urge the Senate to protect these provisions and move quickly to pass them.”<br>
<br>
American Families United’s advocacy goals will now shift to protecting nuclear family provisions in the Senate and working for similar provisions in the House.&nbsp; Meetings with Senators and Members of Congress will continue.http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1271241
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1271241American Families UnitedFri, 12 Apr 2013 19:08:32 GMTAmerican Families United Members Rally for Family UnityOn Wednesday, April 10th, American Families United members stormed Capitol Hill along with thousands of other immigration advocates.&nbsp; The message they delivered was to reunite separated families and to bring exiled families back home. &nbsp;<br>
<br>
Members took advantage of their time in DC to attend meetings with the offices of several Senators and Members of Congress on the 10th, 11th, and 12th, and felt the support growing on Capitol Hill for our waiver reform.<br>
<br>
“I received overwhelming positive feedback from the new offices we visited” stated Allyson, Philadelphia Chapter President, “and feel that we are inching closer to our goal.”<br>
<br>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1271247
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1271247American Families UnitedThu, 04 Apr 2013 19:22:35 GMTAmerican Families United attends Immigration Roundtable with Senator Barbara Boxer<font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">American Families United Secretary Steven Zaharakis was personally invited April 3rd to an immigration roundtable with Senator Boxer and 20+ other organizations interested in working towards comprehensive immigration reform.<br>
<br>
Secretary Steven Zaharakis mentions "We are very happy that Senator Boxer has offered to make her focus two key areas once a bill is released: 'Women and Family'. American Families United applauds Senator Boxer's strong ideals that family is a key issue in this debate. We look forward to working with her once a bill is released to make sure family reunification for US Citizens is not left out."</font><br>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1259996
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1259996American Families UnitedWed, 03 Apr 2013 19:14:37 GMTAmerican Families United Submits Organizational Letter in Support of Discretion for US Citizens' FamiliesEarlier today, American Families United submitted a letter to Congressional leadership asking for common sense judicial discretion in admitting the spouses of US citizens. &nbsp;<br>
<br>
An impressive list of 30 organizations, from a range of political views and parts of the country signed on in support separated and exiled US citizen families:<br>
<a href="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/resources/Documents/WavierReformOrganizationalSupport-2013-04-03.pdf" target="_blank"><br></a><a href="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/resources/Documents/WavierReformOrganizationalSupport-2013-04-03.pdf" target="_blank">http://americanfamiliesunited.org/resources/Documents/WavierReformOrganizationalSupport-2013-04-03.pdf</a><br>
<br>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1271250
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1271250American Families UnitedMon, 01 Apr 2013 19:24:00 GMTLawmakers Invite American Families United Members to Local MeetingsCongress may be in recess, but American Families United members are not taking a break from advocating for immigration reform that addresses the needs of U.S. citizens and their families.<br>
<br>
This week members will meet with lawmakers from Nevada, California and Arizona to describe how the nation’s broken immigration system threatens the unity of U.S. citizen families.<br>
<br>
“This is a key opportunity to get our message out there,” said American Families United Vice President Dana Forrester, who was forcibly separated from her Jamaican husband. “Lawmakers need to consider U.S. citizens and their spouses in the immigration reform debate,” she said.<br>
<br>
Ms. Forrester will share her perspective as part of a panel discussion with Anna Lake, the Legislative Director for Rep. Amodei (R-Nev.) on April 4 in Reno.<br>
<br>
American Families United Secretary Steven Zaharakis will also weigh in as an invited panelist on an immigration roundtable with Sen. Barbara Boxer’s (D-Calif.) on April 3.<br>
<br>
Arizona resident Sherrie Soria, who will participate in a roundtable discussion with Congresswoman. Krysten Sinema (D-Ariz.), says she plans to use the meeting in Phoenix to explain why US citizens should be treated at least as generously as others in immigration reform.<br>
<br>
“As comprehensive immigration reform takes shape, we must not forget U.S. citizens who are sponsoring their spouses,” she said. “This legislation needs to give U.S citizens’ families the due process they deserve to have their case heard by a judge.”<br>
<br>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1271262
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1271262American Families UnitedMon, 01 Apr 2013 19:20:50 GMTDon’t Forget My Daughter, Arizona Resident Asks Senator McCainAt a town hall meeting with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Tucson resident Gale Thompson held up a front page story from the Arizona Daily Star featuring a photo of his exiled daughter and grandchildren.<br>
<br>
“She loves her husband and the children love their father,” he told the gathering in Phoenix on March 25. “She has chosen to live in a dangerous city rather than break up her family by separation.&nbsp; I’m with American Families United and I’m asking that American citizens caught in this turmoil be treated at least as generously as the undocumented.”<br>
<br>
Senator McCain responded that one third of the constituents he is dealing with fall into this category.<br>
<br>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.3458485226146877" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Arial" size="2">To learn more about American Families United proposed solution, please visit: <a href="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/i601" target="_blank">http://americanfamiliesunited.org/i601</a></font></span></b><br>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1271257
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1271257American Families UnitedFri, 29 Mar 2013 16:30:00 GMTMembers Share Personal Stories of Diminished Hopes, Economic Loss, Shattered Lives<strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-weight: normal;"></strong>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This week more than two dozen members of American Families United launched personal web sites to break their silence about being forcibly separated from their spouse or exiled under current immigration law.</span></strong><br></font></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">“These web sites highlight the stories U.S. citizens who have been traditionally left out of comprehensive immigration reform,” said Randall Emery, American Families United president. “The legal issues these families face are the same as the 11 million living in the shadows. &nbsp;The difference is that we are talking about U.S. citizens, and their spouses are now going through the legal immigration system.”</font></span></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">In story after story, members from across the country shared how they met their spouses, the lives they built together and how their families were eventually torn apart.</font></span></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Sade Bonilla, a Fullbright Scholar and a PhD candidate at Stanford University described the injustice of achieving the American dream without being able to enjoy it with her spouse.</font></span></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">“As a child I was told to work hard and if I did I would achieve great things,” she wrote. “I never once considered that a law passed when I was ten years old would separate me from the love of my life for five years and possibly ten years.”</font></span></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">For Alabama native Nicholas Martin, whose wife received a lifetime bar with no option of an appeal, the question now is whether separated families will be included in comprehensive immigration reform.</font></span></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">“A lot has been said in this immigration debate about what is going to happen with the 11 million undocumented present in this country, but I’m more worried about the lack of attention that is being paid to us, U.S. citizens,” he said. “Don’t we deserve a break as well?”</font></span></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To read the stories of American families who have been forcibly separated or exiled by immigration law, please visit</span> <a href="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/family_stories"><span style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.americanfamiliesunited.org/family_stories</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></font></strong></p>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1254557
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1254557American Families UnitedFri, 29 Mar 2013 13:30:00 GMTAmerican Families United Gains Key Endorsements<strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-weight: normal;"></strong>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A number of influential organizations recently declared their support for American Families United’s proposed waiver reform legislation. These include:</span></strong><br></font></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">New York Immigration Coalition</font></span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">CU Immigration Forum</font></span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Make the Road New York</font></span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund</font></span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Arab American Society of New York</font></span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Immigration Advocacy Matters</font></span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Post-Deportation Human Rights Project</font></span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Action for Family Unity</font></span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey</font></span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Chhaya CDC</font></span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC)</font></span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">New York State Interfaith Network for Immigration Reform</font></span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">FANM - Haitian Women of Miami</font></span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles</font></span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Idaho Community Action Network</font></span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Mingkwon Center for Community Action<br></font></span></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br>
<br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">The latest endorsements underscore the relevance of our legislative goal of creating a waiver system that allows a judge to consider the needs of U.S. citizens when deciding whether to admit immigrant spouses. American Families United will submit its letter to legislators on April 8.</font></span></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To read American Families United’s proposal, please visit</span> <a href="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/i601"><span style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.americanfamiliesunited.org/i601</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></font></strong></p>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1254556
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1254556American Families UnitedWed, 20 Mar 2013 20:00:00 GMTAmerican Families United In the News:<strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-weight: normal;"></strong>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This month American Families United members were interviewed by several local and national media, including:</span></strong><br></font></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br>
<br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">o</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arizona Daily Star,</span> <span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">March 17, 2013</span></font></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://azstarnet.com/news/local/border/law-makes-tucson-couple-live-in-mexico/article_15730c0d-6d89-5676-80e2-2c1ac607fbab.html"><span style="color: rgb(0, 114, 198); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">http://azstarnet.com/news/local/border/law-makes-tucson-couple-live-in-mexico/article_15730c0d-6d89-5676-80e2-2c1ac607fbab.html</font></span></a></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br>
<br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">o</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Center for Public Integrity,</span> <span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">March 14, 2013</span></font></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/03/14/12318/witnesses-tell-congress-americans-legal-residents-families-suffer-due-immigration"><span style="color: rgb(0, 114, 198); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/03/14/12318/witnesses-tell-congress-americans-legal-residents-families-suffer-due-immigration</font></span></a></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br>
<br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">o</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Medill News Service,</span> <span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">March 5, 2013</span></font></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://medillonthehill.net/2013/03/new-immigration-waiver-step-in-the-right-directionbut-not-enough/"><span style="color: rgb(0, 114, 198); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">http://medillonthehill.net/2013/03/new-immigration-waiver-step-in-the-right-directionbut-not-enough/</font></span></a></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br>
<br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">o</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">El Diario,</span> <span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">March 2, 2013</span></font></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.eldiariony.com/Familia-pide-ser-incluida-en%20reforma#.UTVgWDfqmAg"><span style="color: rgb(0, 114, 198); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">http://www.eldiariony.com/Familia-pide-ser-incluida-en reforma#.UTVgWDfqmAg</font></span></a></strong></p>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1254554
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1254554American Families UnitedMon, 18 Mar 2013 16:00:00 GMTActivist Mayor Paul Bridges Joins American Families United<strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-weight: normal;"></strong>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Paul Bridges, the mayor of Uvalda, Ga. who filed a class action lawsuit to prevent his state from enforcing its “papers please” law, has pledged to actively advocate for American Families United.</span></strong><br></font></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">“Mayor Bridges’ public support for American Families United’s principles strengthens our fight for U.S. citizen families,” said our President Randall Emery. “We are proud to be building a diverse, national coalition to bolster American communities and protect the rights of U.S. citizens through comprehensive reform.”</font></span></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Mayor Bridges spoke out against the Georgia law that would have allowed immigrants to be detained by the police and asked for proof of citizenship. The law threatened to impose criminal penalties for anyone who knowingly harbors or transports an undocumented immigrant.</font></span></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To learn more about American Families United’s legislative agenda or to join, please visit</span> <a href="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/"><span style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.americanfamiliesunited.org</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></font></strong></p>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1254553
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1254553American Families UnitedThu, 14 Mar 2013 21:00:00 GMTAmerican Families United to House Subcommittee: “Current Immigration Laws Contradict American Values”<strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-weight: normal;"></strong>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At a hearing of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on March 14, American Families United President Randall Emery urged lawmakers to create immigration laws that respect the rights of U.S. citizens.</span></strong><br></font></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">“It is often said that our immigration laws are broken, but not why. It’s simple: our laws contradict our values,” Mr. Emery told the committee, which includes waiver reform supporters Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.). “New laws must reflect old values: marriage, family.”</font></span></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">The hearing on “The Separation of U.S. families under Current Immigration Law” also included witnesses from the Migration Policy Institute and the National Council of La Raza.</font></span></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">American Families United member Mathi Mugilan Paguth Arivalan, who is waiting two and half years for a visa for his wife, also testified. Mr. Emery called the lengthy delays like Mr. Arivalan’s “indefensible”.</font></span></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">“It defies our national interest to tell a new American that they cannot marry, cannot really start a new life in the United States, until they become a U.S. citizen,” he said. “What national interest could it possibly serve, to tell husbands and wives that they must sleep in separate countries for five years?”</font></span></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Additionally, Mr. Emery reminded the committee that the separation of American families often includes U.S. citizens.</font></span></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">“We also urge due process waiver reform, because the families of US citizens should be treated at least as generously as anybody else in comprehensive immigration legislation.” he said.</font></span></strong></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong></font></font>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-weight: normal;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To view the hearing and listen to American Families United’s full testimony, please visit:</span> <a href="http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/113th/hear_03142013.html"><span style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/113th/hear_03142013.html</span></a> <span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;(Please note: the hearing starts at minute 33:00 in the second video)</span></font></strong></p>
<div>
<strong id="internal-source-marker_0.32640545372851193" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-weight: normal;"><font size="3"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span></font></strong>
</div>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1254551
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1254551American Families UnitedTue, 12 Mar 2013 21:00:00 GMTAmerican Families United to Testify at Congressional Hearing on the Separation of Families<p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">American Families United has been invited to testify at the House Judiciary Committee’s hearing on the <a href="http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/113th/hear_03142013.html" target="_blank">Separation of Nuclear Families Under Immigration Law</a> on Thursday, March 14 at 1:30 p.m. AFU President Randall Emery will describe how the broken immigration system is impacting American families and advocate for waiver reform. Mathi Mugilan Paguth Arivalan, another AFU member, will also be testifying.&nbsp;</font></p>
<p><span><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">To learn more about AFU’s proposals for reform, please visit <a href="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/about/issues" target="_blank">http://www.americanfamiliesunited.org/about/issues</a>. To lend your support for Randall or Mathi, please email your local representative or share your perspective with one of the members of the <a href="http://judiciary.house.gov/about/subcommittee.html" target="_blank">Judiciary’s subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security</a>.</font></span></p>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1241948
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1241948American Families UnitedMon, 11 Mar 2013 17:00:00 GMT$30,000 Raised to Strengthen Lobbying Efforts in Washington DC<p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><span>If the recent Washington, DC lobbying day on Feb. 14 taught us anything, it’s how important it is for us to speak directly with the lawmakers who are shaping immigration reform.</span><br></font></p>
<p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Today we are pleased to announce that American Families United will soon take its efforts to the next level, thanks to our March fundraiser, which raised $30,000. This fund will support the work of our DC representatives, who lobby on our behalf and have helped give us a national voice in this debate.</font></p>
<p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font>As we continue our grassroots advocacy, we hope you’ll continue your fundraising efforts with family and friends, and consider signing up as a Circle of Hope donor. This monthly contribution of as little as $10 will help maintain our voice in the national debate in the coming months. For more information about how to donate, please contact&nbsp;</font><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">202-596-AFU1(2381)&nbsp;</span><font>or visit <a href="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/donate" title="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/donate" target="_blank">http://americanfamiliesunited.org/donate</a>.</font></font></p>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1241945
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1241945American Families UnitedThu, 14 Feb 2013 22:00:00 GMTValentine's Day Events Remind Legislators What's at Stake in Immigration Reform<p style="background-color: transparent;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">On February <font>13th and</font> 14th, members of American Families United me<font>t with the offices of</font> 53 <font>Senators and Members of Congress</font> to ask that <font>US <font>citizens be treated a<font>t least as well as others in immigration reform.</font></font></font></font></p><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">We met the following members in person:<font><br></font></font>
<ul>
<li><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Senator Michael Bennet (CO)</font></li>
<li><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Sen<font>ato<font>r</font></font> Barbara Boxer (CA)</font></li>
<li><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Sen<font>ator</font> Al Franken (MN)</font></li>
<li><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Sen<font>ator</font> Tim Kaine (VA)</font></li>
<li><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Sen<font>ator</font> Pat Toomey (PA)</font></li>
<li><font><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Congressman Luis Gutier<font>rez</font></font></font></li>
<li><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font>Congressman</font> Mark Amodei (NV)</font></li>
<li><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Congressman Bob <font>Brady (PA)</font></font></li>
<li><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Congressman Chaka Fattah (PA)</font></li>
<li><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Congressman <font>Hakeem Jeffries (NY)</font></font></li>
<li><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY)</font></li>
<li><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Congresswoman Gloria Negrete McLeod (CA)</font></li>
<li><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Congressman <font>Beto O’Rourke (TX)</font></font></li>
<li><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Congressman <font>Ted Poe (TX)</font></font></li>
<li><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Congressman <font>Adam Schiff (CA)</font></font></li>
<li><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Congressman <font>Juan Vargas (CA)</font></font></li>
</ul>
<p style="background-color: transparent;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Congressman Luis Gutierrez (IL) sponsored a press conference with us on the topic of the need for immigration reform for separated, exiled, and outlawed families. He spoke directly to our group and spent time talking with members afterwards. <font>Photos <font>from the day are posted on our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152553295310447.960054.326473810446&amp;type=3" target="_blank">face<font>book page</font></a><font>.</font></font></font><br></font></p>
<p style="background-color: transparent;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Additionally, 50 Valentine's Day events were held around the country to show support and :solidarity to those who couldn't attend the DC trip.&nbsp; Highlights of the <font>day can be found at <a href="http://myheart.americanfamiliesunited.org" target="_blank">myheart.americanfamiliesunited.org</a><font>.</font></font><br></font></p>
<p style="background-color: transparent;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font>S</font>ome of press mentions we received follow:</font></p>
<ul>
<li style="background-color: transparent;"><span><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;">Center for Public Integrity: “<a href="http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/02/15/12213/rep-gutierrez-meets-capitol-hill-families-torn-apart-1996-immigration-law" target="_blank">Rep. Gutierrez meets on Capitol Hill with families torn apart by 1996 immigration law</a>”</font></span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><span>San Jose Mercury News (reprint): “<a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_22597575/families-torn-apart-by-1996-immigration-law-plead" target="_blank">California family torn apart by 1996 immigration law pleads with Congress</a>”</span><br></font></li>
<li><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">The Christian Science Monitor:</span> <span style="background-color: transparent;">"</span><span style="line-height: 1.2;"><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2013/0214/Immigration-reform-s-tough-call-illegal-immigrants-married-to-US-citizens?nav=87-frontpage-entryNineItem" target="_blank">Immigration reform's tough call: illegal immigrants married to US citizens</a>"</span></font></li>
</ul>
<p style="background-color: transparent;"><font face="Ubuntu" style="font-size: 18px;"><font>Despite this success, we need to continue our outreach to those who are shaping this legislation. If you haven’t done so already, please call, email or set up a meeting with a local Congressional representative. If you’d like advice on how to get started, please contact&nbsp;</font><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font>202-596-AFU1(2381).</font></span></font></p>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1241941
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1241941American Families UnitedMon, 04 Feb 2013 21:31:16 GMTAmerican Families United Responds to Group of 8 Senate Immigration FrameworkThe comprehensive immigration reform framework announced by the gang of eight Senators speaks to family visa reforms.&nbsp; It also promises a path to citizenship for 11 million people who are presently in the United States, but inadmissible.<br>
<br>
We urge that visa applicants waiting outside the country, particularly the tens of thousands of spouses of US citizens, wait no longer in line but receive waivers on their inadmissibilities. Those who apply legally are supposed to be at the front of the line, and should not be disadvantaged for following procedures and applying from outside the United States.<br>
<br>
We urge the Senate, when it comes to US citizens and our spouses, to pass nothing about us without us.http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1198671
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1198671American Families UnitedWed, 30 Jan 2013 04:30:00 GMTPresident Obama Ignites Voters HeartsPresident Obama today outlined a bold plan of action to repair the broken family immigration system, saying “if you are a citizen, you shouldn’t have to wait years before your family is able to join you in America.”<br>
<br>
After his speech, Dana Forrester, American Families United Vice President, was moved to tears and approached President Obama.&nbsp; “Please Mr. President, please read this” she asked, hand outstretched with a request to give every US citizen the opportunity to have our day in immigration court, when the law denies our spouses entry through the legal path of immigration.<br>
<br>
Brushing aside his security detail, the President took Dana’s hand, looked her in the eye, and said, “I will read it”.<br>
<br>
When President Obama touched Dana’s hand, he touched the hearts of the thousands, maybe millions of US citizens whose family members are caught up in the immigration laws failures.&nbsp; Our mothers, fathers, children, grandchildren -- all of us&nbsp; yearn only to live with those we love in the country of our birth.<br>
<br>
Thank you, Mr. President.&nbsp; Our hearts are with you.&nbsp; Please keep us in yours.http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1194892
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1194892American Families UnitedWed, 02 Jan 2013 20:13:15 GMTSecretary Napolitano Announces New I-601 Waiver ProcessIn a positive step forward for American citizens, <a href="http://www.dhs.gov/news/2013/01/02/secretary-napolitano-announces-final-rule-support-family-unity-during-waiver-process" target="_blank">Secretary Nepolitano announced a new I-601 waiver process</a> today.&nbsp; The rule will help some Americans who have spouses in the US when they sponsor their spouse, and is expected to take effect March 4, 2013.<br>
<br>
Details can be found in the federal register:<br>
<a href="https://federalregister.gov/a/2012-31268" target="_blank">https://federalregister.gov/a/2012-31268</a><br>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1170514
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1170514American Families UnitedThu, 15 Nov 2012 11:55:00 GMTPresident Obama Expect Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill Very SoonIn President Obama's first press conference since being re-elected, he said that he expects a comprehensive immigration reform bill to be introduced, "very soon after my inauguration".&nbsp; <a href="http://youtu.be/01zClkV1n24?t=14m42s" target="_blank">Watch to his remarks here</a>.http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1139832
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/1139832American Families UnitedFri, 22 Jun 2012 03:25:36 GMTPresidential Candidate Mitt Romney Promises Pro-Family Immigration RefromPresidential Candidate Mitt Romney <a href="http://www.mittromney.com/blogs/mitts-view/2012/06/remarks-naleo-growing-opportunity-all-americans" target="_blank">promised a pro-family immigration reform agenda</a> in remarks to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) today, speaking broadly to American Families United's agenda, and specifically to green cards for spouses of permanent residents:<br>
<br>
"Our immigration system should help promote strong families, not keep them apart.&nbsp; Our nation benefits when moms and dads and their kids are all living together under the same roof.&nbsp; But, today, too many families are caught in a broken system that costs them time and money and entangles them in red tape.&nbsp; For those seeking to come to America the right way, that kind of bureaucratic nightmare has to end.&nbsp; And we can do this with just a few common-sense reforms.<br>
<br>
As President, I will reallocate Green Cards to those seeking to keep their families under one roof.&nbsp; We will exempt from caps the spouses and minor children of legal permanent residents.&nbsp; And we will eliminate other forms of bureaucratic red tape that keep families from being together."<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/979770
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/979770American Families UnitedWed, 25 Apr 2012 03:11:13 GMTAFU Submits Public Comments, Launches Petition on Proposed Waiver Rule ChangeAmerican Families United has submitted a <a href="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/Resources/Documents/2012-04-24-AmericanFamiliesUnitedCommentsDocketUSCIS-2012-0003.pdf" target="_blank">public letter</a> in support of the proposed waiver rule change.<br>
<br>
We urge you to <a href="http://americanfamiliesunited.org/Resources/Documents/2012-04-24-AmericanFamiliesUnitedCommentsDocketUSCIS-2012-0003.pdf" target="_blank">read the letter</a> and submit similar comments at regulations.gov before the comment deadline date of June 1st, 2012:<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov/#%21documentDetail;D=USCIS-2012-0003-0001" target="_blank">http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=USCIS-2012-0003-0001</a><br>
<br>
We also ask that you sign the petition in support of the proposed waiver rule change and ask others to do the same:<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/mr-president-about-your-proposed-new-immigration-rule-more-faster-please" target="_blank">http://www.change.org/petitions/mr-president-about-your-proposed-new-immigration-rule-more-faster-please</a><br>
<br>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/900947
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/900947American Families UnitedFri, 06 Jan 2012 17:00:00 GMTAFU Welcomes Intent to Change I-601 Waiver Processing, Asks for Finalization Now and More ChangesAmerican Families United welcomes <a href="http://1.usa.gov/yRLe0x%20" target="_blank">USCIS's announcement</a> of the intent to change I-601 waiver processing for some cases. The proposed change, if finalized, would be a positive step in recognizing the importance of family and the interest of American citizens in the legal immigration process.<br>
<br>
Since American Families United has led this fight for many years now, we are encouraged by this progress.<br>
<br>
The proposed change would affect US citizens who are sponsoring their spouses or children from inside the US, and would allow the family to remain together while an I-601 waiver application is being processed.&nbsp; However, the proposed change would apply only to the bars described under section 212(a)9(B)(i)(I) and 212(a)9(B)(i)(II) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and would not alleviate the difficulty in successfully applying for an I-601 waiver.<br>
<br>
We need this change and more.<br>
<br>
We urge President Obama to issue a final regulation change to implement the proposed I-601 changes without delay, and we urge Congress to make the necessary changes to legal immigration to recognize the rights and interests of Americans.<br>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/789309
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/789309American Families UnitedThu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMTLandmark Court Decision on K2 Visa Cases: Birthdays No Longer a Deportable OffenseAmerican Families United hails the Board of Immigration Appeals decision in the case of Hieu Trung LE.<br>
<br>
Acknowledging AFU's longstanding position -- that it is just wrong to to deport the stepchild of a US citizen because they keep having birthdays during the often years-long wait for their legal immigration visa -- the BIA ruled yesterday in a binding precedent that K-2 visa holders could not age out at 21 and be deported.<br>
<br>
Aging out of other family immigration categories were resolved by the Child Status Protection Act which President Bush signed into law in 2002. The stepchildren of US citizens were not explicitly incorporated into the new law, in what been universally acknowledged to have been an oversight, giving rise to the misinterpretation corrected in this BIA decision.<br>
<br>
The decision comes after years of advocacy from organizations across the political spectrum, multiple law suits by members of American Families United, and several proposed bills in Congress to address the issue.<br>
<br>
Says AFU board member Yumei Li-Bachar, "This decision is long overdue.&nbsp; For years my husband, who is a veteran, and I have struggled with legal fees and international tuition bills -- all because we followed the law.&nbsp; This is our dream act.&nbsp; We hope USCIS will act quickly in granting green cards to my daughter the all the other kids who have been denied justice for so long."<br>
<br>
Parties with K2 age out cases should review the decision with an immigration attorney.<br>
<br>
More information:<br>
<a href="http://www.justice.gov/eoir/vll/intdec/vol25/3719.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.justice.gov/eoir/<wbr>vll/intdec/vol25/3719.pdf</a>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/658436
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/658436American Families UnitedWed, 22 Jun 2011 22:00:00 GMTSenators Introduce Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011Senators Menendez, Reid, Schumer, Leahy, Gillibrand, and Durbin have introduced S. 1258, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011.&nbsp; American Families United applauds the inclusion of the following pro-family sections of the bill:<br>
<br>
Section 161, Promoting Family Unity - this section includes improvements that would help in waiver reform processing in targeted cases.&nbsp; American Families United continues to press U.S. Senators for support of the principal of legal immigrant waiver equity.&nbsp; We believe that legalization programs should never disadvantage spouses of US citizens who are already in line in the legal immigration system vis-a-vis intending immigrants who are physically present in the country and have otherwise identical immigration cases.<br>
<br>
Section 302, Reclassification of Spouses and Minor Children of Lawful Permanent Residents as Immediate Relatives - this section would eliminate quotas that needlessly separate husbands and wives, parents and young children, purely for adhering to the law.<br>
<br>
Section 303, Retention of Priority Date - this section would ensure that a person's place in line would be maintained should they be move from one family category to another.&nbsp; This is the first time such legislation has been introduced in the US Senate, and American Families United thanks Senator Menendez in particular for including this legislative fix and for once again leading on an issue that separates families.<br>
<br>
Sections 304 and 308, Equal Treatment for All Step Children and Fiance Child Status Protection - these sections would provide a retroactive fix to the K2 visa age-out problem, and an equalization of the dates for which sponsoring US citizen spouses and fiances can sponsor step children.&nbsp; A legal victory on the K2 visa age out problem solved the K2 visa age-out problem going forward.<br>
<br>
Section 307, Widows, Widowers, and Orphans - this section improves on existing law, and would provide additional protections for widows, widowers, and orphans to visit and live with extended US citizen family members in the event of the untimely death of a sponsoring US citizen spouse or parent.<br>
<br>
Full text of the bill can be found at: <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:S.1258:" target="_blank">http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:S.1258:</a><br>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/658430
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/658430American Families UnitedFri, 06 May 2011 09:48:09 GMTCongressman Honda Introduces Reuniting Families Act with Improvements for American Families!We applaud Congressman Mike Honda for reintroducing a new and improved Reuniting Families Act, HR 1796, in the 112th Congress.<br>
<br>
The Reuniting Families Act contains solutions to many long-standing issues that separate Americans from their spouses and children, including:<br>
<ul>
<li>better waiver reform provisions which would improve I-601 and I-212 processing</li>
<li>an improved fix to the K2 visa issue</li>
<li>an end to numerical quotas on the F2A category for spouses and children of permanent residents</li>
<li>a new section to retain priority dates for family members when they marry or otherwise move from one category to another</li>
</ul><br>
American Families United thanks the many co-sponsors of this bill and calls on all Members of Congress and organizations who value marriage and family to support this bill.<br>
<br>
We are mobilizing a grassroots campaign to ask local organizations to endorse HR 1796, and then meet members of Congress personally to ask them to co-sponsor the bill.&nbsp; Updates will be posted on Twitter.&nbsp; Please join us to get involved.<br>http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/594826
http://americanfamiliesunited.org/news/594826American Families United